Early lead slips away from Eagles

Eagle football jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead at Bend High School Friday night. For the first time in a while, the Eagles played like they know they can; they played like they are a top Intermountain Conference (IMC) team. The Bend Bears, currently sitting third in the IMC with a 4-2 league record, started their comeback against the Eagles in the second quarter, putting 14 points on the board to tie the game going into halftime. Bend then outscored Hood River 14 points to seven in the second half to take the game by a touchdown, with a final score of 28-21.

“We played more like what our expectations are,” Coach Tracy Jackson said. “But we made mistakes late in the game and it cost us. Bend is a solid, well-balanced team and we’re happy with our level of play without a full team.”

With several players currently out due to injury, the Eagles have been playing at less than 100 percent for basically all of the season.

“If we can get two runningbacks back we’ll be in good shape,” Jackson commented. “It’s basically our challenge at this point and not so much who we play anymore.”

Two key players that sat out against Bend were Obed Bello and Ian Bohince. According to Jackson, Bohince should be ready to go for this Friday’s homecoming game against Crook County. He is unsure, however, about Bello’s return.

The Eagles junior varsity team lost a tough 42-7 game against Bend, with Hood River’s only touchdown of the game coming from a 30-yard pass from quarterback Travis Carratt to Brian Sheer.

“It was basically the same story; we started slow and played catch- up the rest of the game,” said Coach Jonn Vann. “Props to Ricky Schmidt, Matt Hale and Cameron Kiyokowa on defense.”

The freshman team took a tough, suspenseful 28-30 loss against Bend, with the Bears stealing the lead late in the fourht quarter and stoping the Eagle’s final drive.

“With each game, we are growing as a team and as young men,” commented coach Troy Tacay. “And that, in the end, is much more important than wins and losses.”